Reclaiming one's sexuality after treatment is a deeply personal and often challenging journey that requires courage and open conversation. On today’s episode of Love Letters 2 Our Bodies, we delve into this topic with Ebonie Michelle, Founder and CEO of Prowl the LAB. Join our host, Gwendolyn Mitchell, and Ebonie as they go deeper into her personal journey with her body through several challenging experiences, including her double mastectomy. They discuss the inspiration behind Prowl the LAB, what the name means, and Ebonie’s insights on reclaiming your sexuality after trauma or illness. Tune in now to hear this powerful conversation.

Key Points From This Episode:

• We are introduced to today’s guest, Ebonie Michelle.

• Ebonie shares her own personal journey with her body, before founding Prowl the LAB.

• How different health challenges and experiences shaped her as a young woman

• We discuss how the early prescription of birth control pills may have impacted her journey.

• Ebonie shares the inspiration behind finding Prowl the LAB.

• How she describes her relationship to her body, at present.

• She explains why Prowl the LAB focuses on five different areas of sexuality.

• We delve into the experience of having a double mastectomy.

• We further explore the five circles of sexuality.

• Ebonie gets into what it means to reclaim your sexuality after trauma or illness.

• She shares more about a special upcoming event.

Quotes:

“When we think about sexuality, a lot of the misinformation is that sexuality is only encapsulated or illustrated through our sexual preferences, and that is not the case. Sexuality incorporates sexual wellness.” — Ebonie Michelle [0:21:17]

“The main focus of Prowl the LAB is to support women and couples as they cultivate, or as they maintain, healthy sexuality throughout their cancer care, chronic illness, trauma-related or experiential relationship in terms of different abilities.” — Ebonie Michelle [0:22:55]

“We are not our diagnosis. We are not the circumstances of our adverse health status. We are women. We are human, and unfortunately, many of us have to navigate experiences that cause us to have face-to-face meetings with our mortality, sometimes before we are ready.” — Ebonie Michelle [0:30:31]

“I find that sexualization, in many cases, has such a direct and detrimental impact on the evolution of someone’s sexuality. Specifically with reference to history of trauma, of different ability, of challenges with sexual wellness, within the grander scheme of healthy sexuality.” — Ebonie Michelle [0:36:57]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Ebonie Michelle on LinkedIn

Ebonie Michelle on Instagram

Prowl the LAB

Prowl the LAB Podcast

Liz O’Roirdan

Gwendolyn Mitchell on Linkedin

Moyo Institute on Instagram

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute

What does it mean to feel beautiful after cancer? In this episode, we sit down with visionary cosmetologist and community leader Dr. Leia’ Love to explore her remarkable journey from salon owner to paramedical tattoo artist specializing in 3D areola tattooing for breast cancer survivors. Dr. Love has more than two decades of experience in the beauty industry and a heart for healing. Known as the “Head-2-Toe Beauty Pro,” Dr. Love combines art, empathy, and trauma-informed care to help women reclaim their confidence after a mastectomy. In our conversation, she opens up about her path into restorative tattooing, her work with the American Cancer Society, and her deep belief that true beauty lies in resilience. We explore the emotional and physical realities of post-cancer healing, the power of choice in the recovery process, and the importance of creating spaces where women can feel seen, safe, and whole again. Join us to gain valuable insights into the external and internal processes of healing, her approach of combining passion with purpose, and why beauty is much deeper than the skin.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Background about Dr. Love and how her career transformed into a dedication to healing.

• How the American Cancer Society sparked her passion for helping.

• What inspired her to pursue 3D areola paramedical tattooing

• Explore the process, timing, and aftercare for paramedical tattooing.

• Hear a powerful story about a client’s transformation.

• The Leia Love Spark Beauty Fund making healing accessible to patients.

• Unpack Dr. Love’s definition of beauty beyond the surface level.

• Discover how Dr. Love is expanding her work into prosthetic breast molds for women.

• Redefining beauty standards and the importance of giving yourself permission to heal.

Quotes:

“I think people look at beauty as the surface of what you see, but when you get into the soul of somebody, when [patients] have been stripped of everything, just to see [their] strength and courage [is] beauty to me.” — Dr. Leia’ Love [0:25:24]

“My passion for knowledge, [beauty, business, and empowering women] helps me serve my purpose of helping people through whatever challenge they are going through.” — Dr. Leia’ Love [0:29:41]

“It is hard to look in the mirror and not like who you are, and I want people to really love who they are.” — Dr. Leia’ Love [0:30:51]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Leia’ Love

Dr. Leia’ Love on LinkedIn

Dr. Leia’ Love on Instagram

Dr. Leia’ Love on Facebook

Dr. Leia’ Love on YouTube

Leia' Love Hair & Nail Salon

The Leia Love Spark Beauty Fund

American Cancer Society

Stewart's Caring Place: Cancer Wellness Center
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute

Wellness doesn’t need to be an extravagant vacation or trip to the spa. Instead, it can be as simple as taking a moment to breathe in the day and center yourself. This is especially true for people with cancer, and today on Love Letters to Our Body, we are joined by the director for Wellness Programs at Unite for HER, Melissa Christie, to discuss mind, body, and spirit wellness in cancer care.

In this conversation, you’ll hear all about what made Melissa interested in wellness, what wellness means to her, why money doesn’t need to restrict wellness opportunities, how she got involved in Unite for HER, and so much more! We delve into the incredible organization as our guest explains how their cancer care is unique, what their programs look like, and how they support underrepresented communities with cancer care.

We delve into some of the services they offer that help their members appreciate and be in union with themselves and love their changing bodies before discussing the power of self-compassion in the healing process and how Melissa helps cancer patients cultivate it. Our guest even reminds women navigating difficult health challenges to advocate for themselves and learn how to love themselves. Finally, Melissa tells us what her love letter to these women would say. Thank you for tuning in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• A brief overview of today’s guest, Melissa Christie.

• What drew Melissa to wellness work in the cancer space.

• What wellness means to her and why we need to simplify it.

• How Melissa got involved in Unite for HER.

• What makes Unite for HER’s approach to cancer care unique.

• The services they offer and what membership looks like.

• How the organization supports women of color with cancer diagnoses.

• What the “HER” in Unite for HER stands for.

• How they help cancer patients find love for their bodies.

• Some methods of therapy that are different from talk therapy.

• The role self-compassion plays in healing and how to cultivate it.

• Why we love Reiki and why we want to expose women of color to it.

• Melissa reminds women navigating health challenges to self-advocate.

Quotes:

“I love to serve people, I love to help!” — Melissa Christie [0:03:05]

“We really do target – our communities of color and our underserved and underrepresented communities as well because we want them to have the power to have the healthcare that they need.” — Melissa Christie [0:23:22]

“We have a lot of things that we may say we’d like to change about ourselves, but we are remarkably made.” — Melissa Christie [0:31:13]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Melissa Christie on LinkedIn

Unite for HER

Unite for HER | Wellness Programs
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute